Connector housings are used to hold a socket contact into which a pin contact may be pushed. To improve introduction of the pin contact into an introduction opening, the connector housing has, arranged around the introduction opening, delimiting surfaces which are inclined in the direction of the center of the introduction opening. The socket contact is secured by a latching hook to prevent its being withdrawn from the connector housing.
DE 196 00 236 A1 discloses a housing element of an electrical connector. The housing element has a body with passages provided to receive a contact member. Further provided is a locking key which is provided with protuberances for engagement in slots which open into the passages. The protuberances have a width corresponding to the dimension of the apertures, which extend over the entire width of the passages. The protuberances are lengthened to form bosses. The contact member is made in the form of a socket contact whereof the plug receiving region has associated with it a plug opening in the housing. The plug opening is surrounded by delimiting surfaces. In the region of the plug opening, the housing body is made in one piece. To hold the socket contact, a lug is provided as a latching hook which latches into a corresponding latching slot in the socket contact when the socket contact is pushed into the housing.
In many cases, the housings are made from synthetic material by an injection molding process. When the housing is made, it is necessary for the latching hook to be shaped in the housing using a mold. It is moreover necessary to form between the latching hook and the housing wall a receiving space into which the latching hook can spring back when a contact is pushed in. To remove the mold once the shaping procedure is complete a sufficiently large opening has to be made in the housing. In the case of small housings, it may be that there is no surface available large enough for the opening to be provided.
To solve this problem, French patent application FR 2 706 687 A1 proposes a two-part housing in which some of the delimiting surfaces for the plug opening of the housing are formed by a separate plug receiving part. In this way, it becomes possible to make the housing separately from the plug receiving part. This allows a large opening for the mold to be provided, and this opening is at least partly closed by the plug receiving part in the mounted condition. Thus, the housing, together with the latching hook, can be removed from the mold without problems. The plug receiving part is then pushed into the corresponding opening in the housing. The plug openings each have four delimiting surfaces which taper conically inwards. Three of the delimiting surfaces are formed by the housing. The fourth delimiting surface is formed by the plug receiving part. The plug receiving part moreover has a blocking element which is pushed into a free space between the movable latching hook and the housing. This means that the latching hook is held in a latched position. The process described for making a connector housing is relatively complicated.